


Datemates

by Cloudnoodle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Character of Color, Bisexual Male Character, Fluff, Like a teensy bit of angst, M/M, Relationship Negotiation, neuroatypical character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2181597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudnoodle/pseuds/Cloudnoodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following Dean and Seamus through their years at Hogwarts and beyond.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Year

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how but Deamus became the OTP of my OTPs in like 3 days flat. I set out intending to simply write out a few cute headcanons and, well, it kind of snowballed, and Dean turned into a very self-assured bisexual boy who doesn't care for societal expectations and gender roles, and Seamus turned out to be neuroatypical, and they're both adorable, and I hope I did them both justice.

Nothing the witch who told Dean that he was a wizard could have prepared him for the wixen world, Diagon Alley, Platform 9 and ¾, and Hogwarts itself; it was all so awe-inspiring and somewhat scary. As he was standing in line to be sorted (he kept to the back of the line as everyone was bustling forwards, but could still see everything – he was one of the tallest children in his class, and it gave him some comfort), his dark eyes wide and shining in the floating-candle-light, he could not catch anyone's eye. He had never felt so alone. Professor McGonagall was already calling names. A boy, stoutly-built, sandy-haired, the top of his head barely reaching Dean's shoulder, was trying to push to the front. Dean stepped aside as much as he could, to allow the boy pass him.  
'Thanks, mate,' said the boy looking up at Dean's face for a second and pulling his sight to the side right away.  
'No problem,' said Dean, but at that moment Professor McGonagall called Finnigan, Seamus and the boy jumped and started pushing forwards, evidently that was his name. A minute later he was pronounced a Gryffindor.

What seemed like ages later, Dean sat down next to Seamus at the Gryffindor table. Everyone cheered, Seamus clapped him on the shoulder. _Perhaps this won't be so bad_ , thought Dean. He mostly listened during dinner, Seamus seemed very happy to be there and eager to talk about himself and his family – his mother was a witch, but his dad was a Muggle, and even though he went to Muggle school before, he also knew everything about wixens and Hogwarts. Once everyone around Dean had finished talking about their families, Seamus turned to him:  
'What about you? Dean Thomas, right?'  
'Yes. Um, my parents aren't wizards,' said Dean awkwardly.  
'What do they do?' asked Seamus curiously. 'Me dad's a mechanic, owns a repair shop,' he offered by way of encouragement.  
'My mum's a science teacher and my step-dad's a nurse.'  
'Shouldn't it be the other way round?' laughed Seamus.  
'No,' said Dean firmly, annoyed.  
'Sorry, mate, didn't mean anything by it. It's just unusual, is all.' quickly said Seamus. 'It's cool.'  
Dean did not say anything in reply, he was not sure this boy was all that cool anymore.  
'So, how was it finding out you're a wizard?' asked Seamus evidently trying to move past the incident.  
'It was so weird,' started Dean after a moment's hesitation. 'They send out a teacher to deliver your invitation, you know, to kids like me. So, one morning a woman shows up at our doorstep, says she's called Charity Burbage and that she works at a special-talent school and that I have what they look for. My parents are suspicious because they have never heard of Hogwarts, so they start pushing, what sort of talent this Professor is talking about, and so she simply says magic. We just gaped at her and then started laughing, but then she started a blue fire in our fireplace with a flick of her wand and started asking us questions about whether anything strange happened around me from time to time and I remembered, once I broke a vase at a friend's house and I was so afraid they'd find out and I was looking around thinking what to do and I heard clinking and looked at it and it was good as new. Then another time a frisbee flew on our neighbour's roof and I had to get it and before I even climbed the tree to get onto the roof, the frisbee just flew right into my hand and there was no wind, good thing too, because that neighbour is scary with a scary dog. My parents finally agreed to at least go see Diagon Alley. My mum was fascinated, she read all my textbooks during the summer.  
'And your step-dad?'  
'He just said that if wixen colleges or whatever you... _we_ have are free then I'll have to go there, otherwise I'll still have to get my A-levels and go to a regular college.'  
Seamus laughed and Dean laughed with him this time.

Next morning, Dean woke up to Seamus gently shaking his arm.  
'Morning, mate,' said Seamus brightly. 'Want to go to breakfast? I reckon it's going to take some time to find it.'  
After that they just sort of fell in together. Seamus, who apparently was an early bird, always woke Dean to go to breakfast. At the beginning of the first day, Dean anxiously offered that he and Seamus sit together in class, then the next one, and the next... When they reached the last class of the day, Seamus dumped himself into the seat next to Dean before he could get the words out. Seamus also took to educating Dean about the wixen world, even though Dean, much like Hermione Granger, liked reading books about it in his spare time, although he never told anybody, except Seamus to whom he gave it away by accident - Seamus he was telling something Dean already knew about and he corrected his supposedly more knowledgeable friend.  
'Why didn't you tell me you already knew this stuff?'  
'I don't know everything, and even when I do, I like to hear you tell it.' shrugged Dean.  
Seamus just looked at him like he was weird, but not without fondness.

Another thing that made Seamus think Dean was a weirdo was the fact that Dean liked football. Seamus tried explaining the rules of Quidditch to Dean without much success in impressing him. However, during the first match of the season, between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Dean changed his opinion. Quidditch was amazing. Although, even afterwards he still insisted that Seamus must come out to watch a football match with him. And they did go to a match the summer after their first year. Seamus was thoroughly unimpressed by it.  
'It's OK, though, mate,' he said afterwards. 'My dad... he doesn't take me to Muggle activities much at all. So this was cool.'


	2. Second Year

The second year was scary. When they were told the story of Slytherin's monster, Seamus just looked at Dean, his face white. Dean looked back at him – in his opinion, Seamus was not entirely safe either. Still, as much as they were together their first year, now, Seamus did not let Dean out of his sight at all if he could help it. Once or twice, waking up in the night, Dean saw Seamus sitting on his bed, watching Dean, as though keeping guard.  
'Seamus? What's up?' asked Dean, waking up to find Seamus watching him the second time.  
'Nothing. Can't sleep.' grunted Seamus.  
'Oh. Um... Do you want anything?'  
'Yeah. For you to go back to sleep.' snapped Seamus in a whisper.  
'Hey, Seamus,' said Dean quietly, sitting up in his bed. 'I know what this is about. You don't need to worry. I'm going to be fine. It's not going to get in here.'  
'How do you know?'  
'I know... Just trust me, OK?'  
Dean got out of his bed, came up to Seamus, started tugging at his blanket.  
'Get under there.'  
'Why?'  
'So you can sleep.'  
Seamus grunted but obeyed.  
'What are you doing? I'm not three, you don't need to tuck me in.'  
Dean lightly touched his friend's shoulder and stroked half-way down his arm, Seamus did not say anything about it.  
'Good night, Seamus.'  
'Night, Dean.'


	3. Third Year

Third year was hardly any better. They were allowed to visit Hogsmeade, which was great, of course: Dean and Seamus spent hours sampling Honeyduke's candy and browsing Zonko's joke shop along with their friends Padma, Parvati and Lavender. But Sirius Black was at large and he managed to get into their dormitory. Seamus, who was more shaken by Black's strange attack on Ron than he let on, was having nightmares for about a two weeks afterwards. The Dementors, mostly not seen but still felt in and around the castle, did not help. One night Seamus woke with a shout, waking up everyone else in the room. Dean got up, told Ron, Harry, and Neville to go back to sleep and sat down on Seamus's bed. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder which was still somewhat shaky and very tense.  
'Hey, mate,' said Dean quietly. 'It's OK, he won't get in. There's people looking out for him. Last time we weren't looking out, now we are. It's going to be OK.' he repeated knowing that it helped Seamus calm down, all the while gently stroking his friend's shoulder. Without thinking he reached out to wipe his friend's sweaty hair off his forehead.  
'What are you doing?' whispered Seamus.  
'Oh, sorry, it's... my dad does... or used to do this... when I would get nightmares. It helped me.'  
'Go on, then.'  
Dean stroked his friend's hair. Seamus's breathing evened out after a few minutes and he closed his eyes.  
'Do that a little bit more, will you?' asked Seamus, he sounded sleepy.  
'OK.'  
They did not mention it the next morning.


	4. Fourth Year

The fourth year brought at least a little respite to Dean and Seamus. They were too young to compete in the Triwizard Cup Tournament and they were not Harry Potter who, of course, had to end up involved. They also got to go to the Yule Ball. Everyone acted weird about it – girls were constantly giggling and boys felt pressure to get the pretty girls to go with them.  
Dean was talking about it with Padma and Parvati, sitting on a windowsill in a corridor, one day. He was good friends with them, even though Seamus scorned their 'girly' ways.  
'So, Dean, who do you want to take to the Yule Ball?' asked Parvati.  
'I don't know,' he had thought about it, of course. He found a lot of people pretty, and he meant people, not just girls, but there was no one he particularly liked at Hogwarts... except, now that he thought of it, Seamus. 'I would just like to go with Seamus.'  
The girls looked at him, confused.  
'What do you mean?'  
'I mean, I'd just like to go to the Yule Ball with Seamus.'  
'Yeah, but how?..'  
'Would it be, like, a date?'  
'I suppose so.'  
'But he's a boy, and you're a boy.'  
'And you're friends.'  
'Yeah, going out with friends is tricky.'  
'Dean!'  
'What, Parvati? I didn't want to make a big deal out of this, and it seems like you want me to.'  
'Isn't it?'  
'Not to me. That's just how I am. It's called pansexual, when people like people of all genders. Or bisexual, when people like people of more than one gender. I haven't decided which I like better yet.'  
'How do you know all that?'  
'My mum's a science teacher and my dad's a nurse. I've had several very comprehensive relationship and sex talks.'  
'Wow.'  
'It's no big deal,' shrugged Dean.  
A pause followed.  
'So... you like like Seamus?' asked Padma.  
'Why would you say that?'  
'You want to go to the Yule Ball with him!'  
'So? We can't go as friends?'  
'I suppose so,' said Parvati thoughtfully.  
'But is that it?' asked Padma.  
'Yes. Don't you like going out with your friends? Dancing and stuff?'  
'Yes, but that's a girl thing.'  
'Says who?'  
Padma and Parvati shrugged.  
'I don't care for sorting things into girl things and boy things,' said Dean, slightly annoyed but also used to this sort of thing by now. 'I do what I like to do and when I do it it's neither boy thing nor girl thing for me. Or both.' He let out a huff of laughter, though Parvati and Padma seemed not to get it. They sat pensive for a while.  
'But what if Seamus doesn't see it that way?' asked Padma.  
'Yeah, what if he... doesn't get it?' added Parvati.  
'Oh, he gets it,' said Dean airily. 'He spent all last year listening to me go on and on about Professor Lupin – I had a huge crush on him, Professor Lupin, I mean. Seamus asked me if I was gay and I explained the pan and bi thing to him and we went on.'  
'Yeah, but this isn't exactly the same thing, is it?' mused Padma. 'Listening to you gush about Lupin is one thing but going to the Yule Ball is another.'  
'Hmmm, I suppose, you're right,' said Dean. 'I'll just have to ask him and see, then, won't I?'  
Even though he sounded confident, Dean was just a little bit worried, what if this really was the one thing that Seamus wouldn't get? But then, Dean and Seamus always told each other everything, or at least Dean did and so far Seamus had not done anything to make Dean doubt him, except that very first night at Hogwarts, but even then he was quick to apologise.

Dean was determined to have the conversation as soon as possible – and since Yule Ball was all everyone was talking about these days, he did not even have to bring the topic up himself. He was walking with Seamus back to the castle after Herbology, they passed a group of Beauxbatons students chattering excitedly, Dean who knew French, smiled.  
'What are they talking about?' asked Seamus.  
'Care to take a guess? It's the one thing on everyone's minds these days, it seems.' laughed Dean as Seamus rolled his eyes.  
'It's so annoying!'  
'You think so? I actually think it's nice.' said Dean.  
'Well, of course, you think it's nice,' said Seamus and Dean quickly glanced at him, but Seamus was smiling fondly at him.  
'Yeah, dressing up, dancing, listening to the band play, it should be fun.'  
'Well, that sounds OK, when you put it like that – except the dressing up part,' Seamus wrinkled his face dramatically.  
'Oh, come on,' said Dean. 'You'll look cool in a tux or whatever.'  
Now Seamus did a double take.  
'You think so?'  
'Sure,' said Dean.  
Seamus did not say anything for a second or two.  
'It's just...' he began. 'So annoying that you're a supposed to take a girl... a girl you don't even like.'  
'Says who?'  
'I don't know... everyone,' replied Seamus somewhat irritably.  
Short silence.  
'I've been thinking,' said Seamus somewhat absently, he spoke like that when he stopped thinking about what he was saying. 'It'd be cool to go with someone I actually like, you know, like you.'  
Dean's heart jumped.  
'Mate, I've been thinking the same thing!'  
'You have?'  
'Yeah!'  
Seamus stopped and grabbed Dean's hand to stop and turn him around. The two boys stood facing each other on the path to the castle which was, happily, otherwise deserted by now. Seamus let go off Dean's hand.  
'So...' began Seamus. 'Would it be... like, a date?'  
'It doesn't have to be,' shrugged Dean. 'As long as I get to dance with you!'  
Dean laughed, he hadn't meant the last part entirely as a joke, he just wanted not to scare Seamus away, but Seamus was just looking at him.  
'What?' said Dean.  
Seamus still did not say anything.  
'You want it to be a date,' realised Dean.  
'I... I dunno, mate,' said Seamus ducking his head. 'I... I just want to take you to the Yule Ball, dress up, dance and stuff.'  
Dean laughed and punched his friend in the arm.  
'It's totally a date!'  
Seamus still looked worried, uncomfortable.  
'What is it, Seamus?'  
'Does it... does it make me gay... or like you, bi, pan or whatever?'  
'What does?'  
'Wanting to take you out and dance with you and stuff?'  
'Oh. Um... Well, you know that I don't care about all that stuff, what makes one gay,' Dean wrinkled his face in contempt. 'If you want to take me out as a friend, on a friend date or whatever, that's fine. If you want it to be a romantic date, that's also fine. And you don't have to tell me which one it is right now,' Dean added hastily. 'Just you know, warn me if there's going to be any hand-holding or kissing. Hand-holding by itself says nothing, by the way, in my opinion, but kissing is definitely romantic date material.'  
He smiled trying to make the other boy feel more at ease, Seamus smiled back, weakly.  
'As for the gay question. Only you can answer that, really, you know. But you don't have to do it right away or you can say one thing now and change your mind later if you realise that it's not right. You can always talk to Professor Vector about it, or just come to Delphine with me some time, maybe it'll help.'  
Professor Vector was the faculty supervisor of Delphine Club – safe space and support group for gay, bisexual, transgender, etc Hogwarts students. Dean had been going there since last year, so Seamus knew all about it, but Dean told him that he was not allowed unless he felt that any of the labels in their description might apply to him. He had never expressed such thoughts before.  
'OK,' said Seamus, finally.  
'OK what?'  
'I'll warn you if there's going to be hand-holding or kissing, Dean,' Seamus managed a small laugh.  
'OK, then,' said Dean brightly.  
They started slowly walking towards the castle again.  
'I'm sorry,' said Dean after a bit.  
'What for?'  
'For not taking it all as seriously as it was for you, back there, I should've realised. I sometimes forget other people... are brought up differently than me.'  
'It's OK, Dean. It's cool that you're... the way you are.'  
They smiled at each other. As Seamus turned to face their path again, Dean suddenly leaned in and kissed Seamus on the cheek.  
'What was that for?' asked Seamus as Dean jumped back.  
'Oh! I didn't mean it! I mean, it's something we do in my family. Seal an apology with a kiss, my grandmother taught me... I... I'm...'  
'It's all right, mate,' Seamus cut him off, putting a calming hand on his friend's shoulder. 'It's... sweet,' he said making a funny face, Dean did not think he ever heard Seamus say that word before, it was something Dean said a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean having a crush on Professor Lupin is my favourite headcanon.


	5. The Yule Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because obviously the Yule Ball requires its own chapter. This is also where I contradict the canon because I saw the clip where Dean and Seamus actors dance behind the scenes of the Yule Ball and it's the most precious thing and the reason I started shipping Deamus in the first place. In case you were interested.

They spent the Christmas day inside. Everyone was enjoying their presents in the morning. Seamus got Dean a small sketch book ( _So you can draw anywhere_ ) and Dean got Seamus a mini mix-it-yourself firework kit from Zonko's. Dean spent the afternoon drawing, while Seamus read a book titled 'Fireworks: combining chemistry and magic' he got from his dad.  
At seven, they went up to the dormitory to change into their coats and ties with their roommates. Seamus's was simple classic black. Dean put on a navy suit and a deep purple bow-tie. When they had set down to the Common Room and Harry, Ron, and Neville had gone down to the Great Hall, Dean said:  
'Shall we go then?'  
'Yeah, okay,' said Seamus but he ducked his head and his eyes were darting around.  
'Is something wrong, Seamus?' Dean knew by now that his friend had trouble with words sometimes and had learned how to help him get them out or just guess his meaning.  
'No... I just... you told me to warn you...'  
'Oh! You want to hold my hand? While we go down?'  
'Yeah...'  
'Okay, then,' Dean took Seamus's hand which he was holding out slightly in Dean's direction, Seamus noticeably relaxed at once. Dean smiled at him.  
'What if someone says something?' asked Seamus.  
'Well, depending on what it is, we'll say something back or ignore them,' said Dean brightly. 'Everything is going to be okay, there's going to be more couples like us. We can meet my Delphine mates and our friends in the entrance hall if you like.'  
(Seamus looked up at him at 'couples like us' but said nothing.)  
They made their way down, holding hands. Dean liked how Seamus's hand felt in his. Dean liked holding hands with people but most of them felt weird about it with a boy they weren't dating, Dean always thought people were silly to think that - holding hands was the nicest thing, why limit it to just the person you're dating?  
The entrance hall was full of people – the door to the Great Hall was still closed. Dean spotted Professor Vector who was standing close to Professor McGonagall, both of them eying the students. Professor McGonagall noticed Dean and Seamus as well, and Dean could swear he saw a small approving smile.  
Seamus shook his head to Dean's question about joining a group of Delphine club members, so they joined two of Dean's friends who wore almost matching black dresses: Agatha, a fifth year Ravenclaw with sleek black hair, olive skin and slanted dark eyes, who was a member of the club, and her best friend Mariana from Slytherin, who had light brown skin and a cute short broad nose and who was not a member. They had decided to go as friends because Agatha was not interested in dating anyone and Mariana thought it was good fun anyway. Seamus was clutching Dean's hand.  
'Do you want to move away for a bit?' whispered Dean in his ear. 'We can go outside.'  
Seamus shook his head and a moment later Professor McGonagall was ordering everyone but the Champions to go into the Great Hall.  
The dinner went fine, Seamus talked animatedly to Dean and to Agatha and Mariana who were sitting at the same table and who happened to share Seamus's opinions about Quidditch teams. When the tables were pushed to the side and the Champions took the dance floor for the first waltz, Dean looked at Seamus.  
'Let's wait for one that's more fun?' said Seamus.  
'Sure,' said Dean, wondering what was exactly was more fun in Seamus's opinion.  
'I'll let you know when I hear it,' said he as though having read Dean's mind.  
'Okay,' laughed Dean.  
They did not have to wait long for the more fun one. As the second song started, faster and with stronger beat, Seamus took Dean's hand and said with a mock serious air:  
'Shall we, my dear Dean?'  
'Yes, we shall,' replied Dean, grinning.  
For all his awkwardness and gruffness Seamus turned out to be quite a good dancer. He moved with ease and confidence, twirling Dean around, even though the latter was much taller than Seamus. Only when the Weird Sisters struck up another slower song did Seamus suggest that they go outside for a bit.  
'Wow, that was amazing, Seamus!' yelled Dean once they were outside, his ears still ringing with the music. 'You didn't tell me you could dance.'  
'It never came up,' shrugged Seamus. 'And you might want to take it down a notch – there's no music here.'  
But he did not seem embarrassed about Dean's enthusiasm, he took him by the hand again and twirled him around, Dean laughed.  
'Seriously, moves like that are the straightest way to just about anyone's heart!'  
They walked around some, talking about the Ball and the Cup.  
'You have a crush on Viktor Krum, don't you?' asked Seamus after Dean had been going on about him for a bit.  
'Not really. I mean, he's just cool... Shall we go dance some more?'  
They danced until another calm song came up.  
'Do you want to get something to drink?' asked Dean.  
'Is a slow dance romantic date material?' asked Seamus.  
'Uh,' Dean was confused. 'It doesn't have to be, unless we say it is. Only kisses on the lips are definitely romantic date material.'  
'Okay, then,' Seamus raised his hand for Dean to take. He stared for a second, but took it. This was a slightly awkward set-up, as they each put one hand on the other's waist and Seamus took Dean's right hand in his left, but once they caught the rhythm, it was nice, they moved slowly on the spot, Dean could feel Seamus's warmth, both of his hands. Now, Dean twirled his friend around. Seamus smiled.  
'You've got moves too.'  
'Glad you've noticed.'  
The rest of their night was fun too, they joined Dean's Delphine Club mates for a few songs, Seamus danced with Agatha and Dean danced with Mariana. They only witnessed some drama when they went up to the Gryffindor common room – Ron and Hermione had just started arguing about something, louder than ever. Dean and Seamus looked at them and at each other and hurried up the stairs to their dormitory which was still empty and pleasantly silent.  
'Oh, mate, I'm glad we're not like that!' said Dean closing the door behind him. 'Those two fancy each other so much, it's baffling that they haven't realised that yet, they must have been Confunded or something. And they keep arguing. I mean, that way they get neither date nor mate, where's the fun in that?'  
Dean stopped and looked at Seamus who was standing at the foot of Neville's bed which was directly facing the door, where Dean stood.  
'Seamus?' he stepped closer, holding his friend's light brown gaze.  
'Can someone be both date and mate?' he asked quietly.  
'Oh, yeah... I mean, that's what my parents always tell me – that it's best if you go out with someone you can also be friends with. You know, it helps if you have things other than snogging and such to connect you.' he stopped for a second and inhaled sharply, realising something, and even though he had thought about it ever since that conversation with Padma and Parvati, somehow he did not feel ready to put it to words, Seamus would have to do this one by himself if he wanted.  
'Seamus?' was all that Dean managed to say after they stared at each other for a few more seconds.  
'I'd like to kiss you, Dean,' said Seamus in that gruff voice of his but he sounded exceptionally tender just now. 'That's romantic date material. Is that okay?'  
'Yes.'  
Seamus stepped up to Dean and kissed him. Seamus put his hand on Dean's chest. Dean forgot he even had arms and hands, Seamus's lips were on his!  
They broke apart a few seconds later – both running out of breath sooner than expected.  
'Are you okay, Dean?' asked Seamus after a couple of breaths, his hand still on Dean's chest.  
'Brilliant, I'm so glad we've wised up to add snogging to our relationship,' laughed Dean. Seamus just stared moving his hand away, Dean hastily put his hand on top, to stop him. 'Sorry! Sorry, Seamus! I'm being completely serious. I love that you're both my mate and my date. My datemate! It's awesome. Kissing you was awesome.' he smiled hoping that he explained himself well.  
'Yeah?' said Seamus.  
'Yeah, this was... tonight was... you... are... just amazing.' Dean leaned in and kissed Seamus.  
'So, we're mates and we're...' began Seamus when Dean moved back.  
'Kissing? Dating? Datemates?  
'Yeah, kissing and dating... datemates.'  
'Yeah, we are.'  
'Okay.' Seamus made as though to kiss Dean again but at that moment the dormitory door opened and a very surly Ron came in, followed by confused-looking Harry.  
'We can talk about it tomorrow,' said Dean hastily and was very surprised when Seamus leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.  
'Thanks for tonight,' said Seamus, apparently not caring that Harry and Ron were in the room. Ron was already angrily taking off his suit, Harry moved to his bed and started changing as well.  
'Had a good night, Dean, Seamus?' Harry asked.  
'Yeah, brilliant,' said Seamus, looking at Dean who was now undressing too. Harry followed his gaze and smiled.  
'Well, at least someone in this dormitory did... where's Neville?'

Nothing much changed in Dean and Seamus's relationship after that. Dean, taught well by his parents, made sure to put down some ground rules, which he would not have bothered to do, really, Seamus and he were always telling each other everything – as evidenced by their somewhat awkward and unconventionally set-up first date – but he knew that it helped Seamus when things were clearly put into words, so that he would have the words to speak about anything that might come up. Other than that, though, nothing much changed. They snogged and held hands sometimes. Dean was surprised to discover that it was Seamus who liked give Dean a passing caress or touch his hand before moving away or give a kiss on the cheek, even when there were other people to see. Dean brought it up once, when they were sitting on a threadbare sofa in a corner of the Gryffindor common room one evening.  
'You know me and me words,' shrugged Seamus. 'It's easier to do it this way. 'he furrowed his brow. 'I thought you liked it, was I wrong?'  
'No, no, no! Of course, I love it. I was just surprised since you didn't... you didn't do much of anything like this... before.'  
'Before we weren't datemates. I was always around you and stuff.'  
'But if you wanted to, you could...' began Dean slightly exasperated but then reminded himself that Seamus did not have parents like his. 'No, yeah, you're right. I'm glad you didn't wait another three years or something to start snogging me.'  
Seamus laughed and Dean reached out and stroked his hair, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.


	6. Fifth Year

However, the world horrors did not keep at bay long. At the end of term, Harry Potter emerged from the final Triwizard Tournament task with Cedric Digory's body and gasping that Voldemort was back. Soon after, they all went home and, after he spent most of last summer with Seamus, Dean's parents wanted him to stay home this time. Dean wrote to Seamus but the latter was not much of a letter writer and his short letters grew tense and curt towards the end of the summer, he wrote about the things The Daily Prophet was writing about Dumbledore and Harry. He also wrote about telling his mum and dad that he and Dean were datemates now ( _They were pestering me about the suit and the Yule Ball, so I just told them that I took you and that it wasn't as friends, it was a romantic date and that we're datemates now. Dad just asked if we were treating each other right, seeing we're both boys and I said yes. Mum didn't seem all too happy about it and asked if I was gay and I said that I just liked you now and didn't know about the future, and Dumbledore and Harry business soon took it out of her mind_ ). Seamus's last letter contained a very scary sentence: _Mum doesn't want me to go back_. Dean sent another letter but a reply did not make it in time – he went to King's Cross on September the first thinking that he would not see Seamus there.  
But Seamus was there – Dean saw him as soon as he emerged through the barrier, eyes trained on the archway, his mother looking grim behind him.  
'Seamus!' Dean half-ran with his trolley the last few steps separating them. Seamus stepped forward, not moving his gaze away from Dean's face, and stepped into Dean's outstretched arms. They stood there for some time, Dean tried to move once but Seamus was still holding on, his face buried in the crook of Dean's neck.  
'It's all good, Seamus. We're going.'  
Seamus moved away a little at that, only to raise his head and kiss Dean – a quick small kiss – and stepped away. Their parents had been looking on awkwardly. Dean's mum and dad moved forward to shake hands with Seamus and Mrs. Finnigan who responded stiffly.  
'We should get onto the train,' said Dean after an awkward minute and they said their goodbyes.  
Dean and Seamus took seats in a compartment with Agatha, Mariana and Neville, who apparently had befriended the two girls at the Yule Ball.  
'I'm glad your mum changed her mind about you going,' said Dean, his hand in Seamus's lap, who did not seem to want to let go.  
'Dad stepped in, actually, when he saw how... much I wanted to go. He said it was my world and I had to learn to live here, nutty headmasters and all.'  
'Grandma says that Daily Prophet has been printing rubbish all summer,' Neville piped in. 'That if Dumbledore says You Know Who's back, he must be back.'  
'Well, perhaps your Grandmother is just as nutty as Dumbledore, then!' retorted Seamus.  
'Hey! Don't you... don't you talk about Grandma like that,' said Neville without any real fire.  
'Stop it, Seamus, Neville!' said Agatha sternly. 'Dumbledore doesn't really do much around school and if he thinks You Know Who's back, the school will just be better protected, so if he's really back, we'll be safe and if he's not, well, extra protection won't harm anyone, right?'  
Dean did not say anything. For the first time, he was not sure about speaking his mind to Seamus, because he did believe Dumbledore and Harry – he had no reason not to, and as for what the Daily Prophet was saying (Seamus wrote to him a lot about that), Dean simply thought that they had taken a leaf out of Muggle newspapers's book and were smearing his name. He tried to explain it to Seamus in his letters, but apparently it did not work too well. But having his datemate and best friend back after two long months felt so good that he decided he did not want to ruin it.  
But it proved not to be that simple – with Umbridge and, by extension, the Ministry of Magic, trying to take over the school and silence everyone who spoke out about Voldemort or just their need to know how to defend themselves, it became clear to Dean that something was up. Dean said as much to Seamus when they were sitting out in the sun one afternoon, about a week into the term. It was a mistake. Dean did not remember very well what they said, or rather shouted, afterwards, but the last thing he heard Seamus say as he walked away was _It's better if you don't talk to me at all then!_ leaving Dean standing stunned.  
What followed was dome of the worst time in Dean's life. He and Seamus never fought, and if they did, in the end they would both concede that it did not matter, that each of them was allowed to stick to their opinion or one of them changed his mind. Even when they went through periods when Seamus did not feel like talking much, they would always take seats next to each other, Dean taking out of his bag Seamus's quill he had bagged by mistake and Seamus putting an extra roll of parchment on the desk because Dean always filled his with scribbles and doodles and ran out. But the next Divination lesson, Seamus took a seat with Rory, a Hufflepuff they talked to sometimes, and Dean was left to sit with Neville. It went on for about two weeks. Dean had to borrow parchment from Hermione. But the worst part was that he felt that he did not know how to think anymore when he was not telling Seamus his thoughts as they were occurring to him. He noticed that Seamus grew increasingly irritable and testy as the time went on, snapping at people when they could not understand what he meant and he began having more and more trouble finding words. Finally, Seamus ended up shouting at a first year who happened to carelessly brush past him outside Charms class one day, the poor kid ran away with tears in their eyes, Dean stepped up from behind his friend.  
'Seamus?' he said and Seamus whipped around.  
'Seamus,' repeated Dean gently. 'Do you want to move away?'  
But Seamus turned around again and entered Professor Flitwick's classroom. However, when Dean sat down in Transfiguration next in his usual seat, he found a roll of parchment on his desk. Yet, Seamus still did not talk to Dean. As miserable as he was, Dean decided not to push it any further.  
A few days later Dean was early for Divination but the classroom was open so he came up and was surprised to find Seamus already sitting there, alone, eyes closed and breathing deeply.  
'Seamus?' whispered Dean.  
He opened his eyes.  
'Do you... do you want to be left alone?'  
'No, not by you.'  
'Okay,' Dean sat down next to his friend.  
'I miss you, Dean,' said Seamus.  
'I miss you, Seamus.'  
So they made up without really talking about anything, Dean did not like it much, but at least he had Seamus back, except that Seamus said that they should go back to being mates, without the date part. Dean decided he did not care too much about that as long as they talked. Umbridge and the constant influx of Educational Decrees presented a real and present danger, and Dean joined Dumbledore's Army at the end of September without mentioning it to Seamus. He started talking to Ginny during DA meetings, she was a good listener, seemed understanding and supportive of whatever thoughts Dean expressed. After the fight with Seamus, it was especially nice. He felt bad keeping it from him, but there was the secrecy of the organisation to consider, in addition to the possibility of upsetting their relationship again. Dean just said that he had Arithmancy work or projects for Delphine and if Seamus suspected something he did not say anything. Dean made no attempt to avoid talking to Harry when Seamus was around though, he felt, as the term went on, that Seamus could not keep believing the Daily Prophet and the Ministry for much longer, it all just seemed less and less plausible. Indeed Seamus was always listening intently whenever Dean was talking to Harry. Finally, in February, the Quibbler published Harry's account of Cedric's death and Seamus apologised to him. Dean told him about DA the very same night, bracing for another fight, but Seamus just said, _Yeah, I figured_. He joined DA the night Umbridge caught them - just my luck, he joked later when Dumbledore came back and Umbridge left the school.  
At the end of the year, Ginny asked Dean out. Well, more precisely, she kissed him one night they were sitting in the common room, talking (DA was disbanded but they still talked). Dean was rather thrown, he liked Ginny, but he also was not sure he wanted to date anyone who was not Seamus. _Don't think of this as something serious then_ , said Ginny, _it's just having a nice time with someone you like to talk to... and snog_. And so they started dating. Seamus said he was fine with it.


	7. Sixth Year

Dean was dating Ginny AND he got into the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Seamus was rather jealous about it at first and Dean was spending so much time with Ginny, they did not hang out much for a while at all even though strictly speaking they were not fighting. It felt weird. Dean started feeling weird about Ginny too. It was nice and fun at first, but Dean found out that did not really work for him, also he could not get Ginny the way he got Seamus, he could not understand her the same way, guess or read in her what she meant or needed. In the end, they got into a silly fight and broke up. Dean would have been relieved if he did not feel bad for ending it in such an angry way. Ginny refused to talk to him for a while. On the up side, Seamus and he were back to normal and Dean thought it had been silly to even attempt at dating someone else. He realised, as his mum had told him, that he was only sixteen and there were many things he did not know yet, but somehow he felt sure no friendship or relationship could feel so nice as he felt with Seamus.

Before the term ended though, everything fell apart. Dumbledore was dead, Voldemort was back in power (he was not openly leading at the Ministry, but it was clear who was running the show now). Seamus's mother came to take him away, he refused to go until after Dumbledore's funeral. They said goodbye right after, standing to the side at the gate to the castle grounds, people bustling around them, everyone saying goodbye and leaving.  
'Look, perhaps it won't be so bad, maybe the school will open as normal,' said Dean without any real conviction.  
They hugged tightly, Seamus clung to Dean, breathing into the taller boy's neck. They stood there a minute. Broke apart. Seamus stepped up again on his toes and touched his lips to Dean's.  
'What?..' began Dean but found he did not know how to finish.  
'I just wanted to do that,' said Seamus. 'It doesn't have to be romantic date material... if you don't want.'  
'I don't know... let's talk about it when we see each other again, okay?'


	8. Seventh Year

But they did not see each other again, not for a long time. As the summer went on, disturbing news started reaching Dean: Muggleborn Registration Commission, hearings, wand confiscations, Dementors, Azkaban. Dean decided not to risk it. He was of age now, it might not matter that he was still a student. Besides he found out that known Death Eaters were appointed teachers - it might not be safe to be Muggleborn at school either, if anything it could be worse because they would be basically locked in there. And so he ran, after telling his mother he was going to stay with Seamus until September. He wanted to let Seamus know, but owl mail could not be safe now. In the end, he decided to send a letter by Muggle post. He just wrote: _I'm not going back, stay safe, Seamus. Love, Dean._ He drew a little sketch too: the two of them flying on broomsticks side-by-side.  
Dean thought about Seamus that autumn and winter and spring a lot. He was running for his own life, sure, but at the same time he wanted to do something to help fight Voldemort to bring everything back to normal. He hoped Seamus was all right at Hogwarts, being a Half-blood was not ideal but it must be better than being Muggle-born. Dean could not believe he was thinking like that. It was all so messed up.  
Finally, Dean met Harry quite by accident and he led the fight to Hogwarts. Dean came to Hogwarts to join the battle. They were led into the Room of Requirement and Seamus was there, beat up but alive. When he saw Dean among the people and the hammocks, Seamus literally roared, a sound Dean recognised as the sound of pure joy only Seamus could make, he did not know he could still remember it or that he had missed it so much. Seamus ran up to Dean and hugged him with all his might. There was not time for much else, they were getting ready for battle.  
'Just live,' said Dean before letting go of Seamus's hand but he was not sure he was heard in the commotion.  
The battle was one scary blur which later only came into focus in nightmares both Dean and Seamus suffered from for years. They both lived though and they could not have hoped for more.  
When it was finally over and everyone was sitting in the Great Hall celebrating, Dean and Seamus were sitting together, numb. Dean reached out and took Seamus's hand. They sat like that for a while.  
'Remember that kiss?' said Seamus.  
'Yes.'  
'I lied. It was definitely romantic date material.'  
'I know,' replied Dean.  
'Can we go to being datemates again?'  
'Yes. I want nothing else. No one else.'


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which is where I get carried away because why not.

And so they stayed together. Neither Dean, nor Seamus wanted anything to do with the wixen world for a while. Dean passed the necessary exams and got into art school. Seamus worked in his dad's repair shop for a while (and okay, he used magic some times to fix a particularly elusive problem). After Dean finished art school, he started working as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer for both Muggle and wixen clients. Seamus and he moved in together in a small farm house away from town. Seamus got a job as an assistant at a glass-blower's workshop. He liked that there was fire which was under control and the art work looked like permanent explosions or fireworks which did not explode, he even made a few pieces himself. After a while though he started tinkering with actual fireworks again, working on child-safe, no-fire, no-noise and other combinations. He started working with George Weasley after a while to produce and sell his fireworks at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. They also both got involved in the Wolfstar foundation – an organisation set up by Harry Potter in the name of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to help magical children who were left orphans after the Batttle of Hogwarts and, later on, magical Muggle-born children who were orphans or abandoned by their parents or for whom it was simply unsafe to be in their Muggle homes. The foundation actually went looking for magical children in orphanages and foster homes and if they were found mistreated, they would be taken into wixen homes or, if none were available, to Number 12 Grimmauld Place which was rid of all the remnants of dark magic and turned into a children's home. A lot of former DA and Order members helped out the best they could. Dean and Seamus went during the summers to spend time with the children, help them with their homework and such. Seamus was particularly good and patient with the smallest ones, Dean could watch him play with building blocks with the little wixens for hours, explaining to them again and again why it was wrong to throw them at other children.

About fifteen years had passed since the Battle of Hogwarts. They were sitting in their terrace on a swing one summer evening, after coming back from Grimmauld Place. Seamus was exhausted and silent, half-curled against Dean, he had one arm across his stomach, Dean's arm was slung across Seamus's shoulders, the other hand idly stroking Seamus's arm lying on his stomach. Dean was thinking about the day they spent with the children.  
'Seamus?'  
'Mmm?'  
'Do you ever... think about children?'  
'Um, yeah, of course, Dean, we go play with the kids at Grimmauld Place all the time.'  
'Yeah, but I mean not only that... Do you ever... think about what it would be like to have children... here?'  
Seamus looked up at Dean at that.  
'I think about Reggie and Auggie,' he said after a beat. Reggie and Auggie were not brother and sister exactly, but they had lived in the same foster home for a long time. Reggie was eight years old, small for her age, she had sleek black hair, warmly brown skin, shining eyes. Auggie's eyes had a similar dark shine but they were slanted and narrow and his skin was milk-white, he was a year older but they shared a birthday. They had been brought to Grimmauld Place in winter because Reggie's magical abilities were manifesting so strongly it was unsafe to let her live with Muggles. She was also deaf which no magic could cure but her foster parents made no effort to help her learn sign language. Auggie, even though he had no magic, just would not leave her. He was the only one who could talk to her at the beginning. So, the Order member who found them brought them both to Grimmauld Place ( _You can't separate a family_ , they said when met with apprehension about bringing a Muggle child into the home of magical children). St Mungo's Healers made Reggie a magical hearing aid, but she did not like to wear it much. She and Seamus got along right away. Auggie was a little jealous at first but Dean made sure he was included as well. They would all go out to picnics outside London. Those times did feel as though they were a family, thought Dean.  
'Yeah, me too,' he finally said, then after a second added: 'What would... what would you think about bringing them here? Just for a bit, for the weekend.'  
Seamus perked up.  
'Yeah? That would be awesome! Reggie was so sad when we had to go tonight and we could make them a room in the attic and we could tuck them in at bed time and we could hear them if they woke up, you know, Penelope told me today that Reggie had a nightmare last night and she was crying for me and I wasn't there...' Dean pressed his lips to Seamus's head at that.  
'Yeah,' he said. 'We can make up the room for them tomorrow and talk to Penelope.'  
Reggie and Auggie did not stay just a bit. They came back to Grimmauld Place after that first weekend but Dean's heart ached when he thought about them sleeping so far away especially because Auggie started getting nightmares as well, or maybe he just stopped hiding them, and Dean could not be there for him, so they made arrangements to have them stay with Dean and Seamus and only come to Grimmauld Place when they had to work and to go to school started nearby where wixen children could get the education preparing them for Hogwarts.

They were eating breakfast one Sunday morning in Dean and Seamus's sunlit kitchen (Reggie and Auggie had been living with Dean and Seamus for year now), when Auggie asked, signing:  
'Are you and Dean married?'  
Seamus and Dean stared at each other and at the children.  
'We... never really thought about it,' slowly signed Dean not taking his eyes off Seamus.  
'Yeah,' he confirmed. 'We never... felt that we needed to.'  
'Not formally,' added Dean.  
'But when you get married there's cake and presents,' signed Reggie.  
'We get enough presents during Christmas and birthdays.' signed Seamus, but then he looked at Dean and Dean looked at him and they had the same thought – perhaps this was a nice idea after all.  
'But perhaps we could celebrate one extra day... formally... or a little formally, with friends, flowers, maybe a present or two,' signed Dean after a beat. 'Would you like that, Seamus?'  
Seamus smiled and took Dean's hand across the table, nodding.  
'We can make a cake tomorrow.'  
'But what about pretty dresses?' Reggie did not relent.  
'Neither of us is wearing a dress,' signed Seamus.  
'But I want to wear a pretty dress!'  
'Me too,' put in Auggie, with the smallest sign.  
'Okay, then,' signed Dean. 'We can go get you pretty dresses today... We should tell Agatha and Mariana, they will want to help prepare everything.'

Dean and Seamus got married on a beautiful autumn day, surrounded by trees and falling leaves and flowers just outside their house, though wedding was the wrong word for the occasion because they had been married all these years, really, ever since the night after the Battle of Hogwarts. But it felt good to celebrate and to dance, Dean loved dancing with Seamus, and Reggie and Auggie were there and Dean kissed Seamus and Seamus kissed Dean and their friends told stories, nice stories, and Seamus held Dean's hand and Reggie and Auggie fell asleep in their laps and they put them to bed and the night fell and Mariana and Agatha finally left ( _Don't worry about anything, we'll be back tomorrow to help clean up!_ ) and Dean and Seamus fell asleep, facing each other, Seamus's hand on Dean's chest so he could feel him breathing and Dean holding onto Seamus.


End file.
